Naunton & Slaughters - River & Ways

Essential Intel

This is a driving Detective Mystery linking three pretty villages waiting to be explored: Naunton, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter. You'll need to travel between the villages to complete the case.

Please note it may be muddy in places, after rain. The Baptist Chapel Garden of Remembrance in Taunton is open from 9.00am until dusk. If it is locked, Clue 04 can be done from the gate and Clue 05 from the gate if necessary.

Navigating The Route

This is a driving Detective Mystery around Naunton, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, with Detectives helping Chief Superintendent Lou Tennant investigate the suspicious collapse of wealthy restaurateur Gordon Blurr at his newly acquired inn by following clues through the villages and ruling out suspects and weapons.

The investigation covers approximately 4 miles and should take around 2.5 hours to complete. You'll begin in Naunton close to the Black Horse pub, follow clues around the village, travel on to Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter, then continue along the riverside before ending back at the parking area and your car.

This Trail is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. Muddy paths may be encountered, and the route includes a rise of a hill, marked footpaths, a slope down to a bridge and stretches of road without pavements.

Take extra care around open water, roads without pavements and the river crossing, and supervise Junior Detectives or sniffer dogs at all times.

Getting There

By car: Start the investigation in Naunton, close to the Black Horse pub (GL54 3AD). This is a driving Trail, so keep your detective vehicle ready for the links between Naunton, Upper Slaughter and Lower Slaughter.

By public transport: Make your way to Naunton, close to the Black Horse pub (GL54 3AD), to begin the case.

Need the Loo?

Plan ahead, Detectives - there aren't any public toilets along this route, so make a comfort stop before the investigation gets under way.

Bring Your Furry Sidekicks

Four-legged Detectives are welcome to join the investigation 🐾

Dogs should be supervised at all times on stretches with open water and roads without pavements. The route also includes muddy paths, a river crossing, marked footpaths and village roads, so leads are sensible whenever the case takes you near traffic or water.

Food & Drink Stops

Interrogating villages and ruling out suspects is hungry work. Pubs are mentioned in the villages, and the route starts close to the Black Horse pub in Naunton.

The Chief says to bring a picnic too - there are some great spots to stop at during the investigation.

Want to Make a Day of It?

Naunton Dovecote

The route includes a marked footpath to Naunton Dovecote, which is thought to be up to 500 years old. This Grade II listed building and Ancient Monument has some 1175 nest holes, and if you are lucky, it will be open when you get there.

Upper Slaughter

Upper Slaughter is described as one of the most photographed villages in the Cotswolds, making it a fine place to slow the investigation down and enjoy the scene. Look out for its fine 17th-century manor, now a hotel, and the old Methodist Chapel now used as a pottery.

Lower Slaughter

Lower Slaughter sits just off the Fosse Way, an ancient Roman road that ran all the way from Exeter to Lincoln in a nearly straight line. The village has a 19th-century corn mill, with a working waterwheel and steam chimney, and its own museum - ideal for Detectives who like their evidence with a splash of history.